Kangaroo Dreaming: An Australian Wildlife Odyssey

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A few miles into the scorched, dusty interior of Australia along the Stuart Highway, naturalist Edward Kanze began counting carcasses. "Kangaroos stare blindly into headlights," he writes, "and the big rigs, drunk on momentum, smash them mile after bloody mile." Kanze, on what he compares at great length to Homer's Odyssey, treks around Australia in a 1980 Toyota Corolla with his wife, packing along a library of natural-history books and a predilection for avian, reptilian, and mammalian mating habits. The author of The World of John Burroughs, as well as of a nature guide to New Zealand, he visits every state in Australia in six months, meeting with park rangers, herpetologists, professional birders, and grumpy crocodile-hunter-types on a quest to intimately know the continent's bizarre wildlife.

Kanze's list of finds is immense, with birds as diverse as orange-bellied parrots, the endangered glossy black cockatoo, crimson rosellas, and deadly Cassowaries, which Kanze describes as "an Emu with a stoop, dark, stocky, with a gaudy red necklace of exposed flesh," and that the Park Service warns has trampled several people. But Kanze's adventures are not limited to birdwatching; in fact, his true pursuit is finding the majority of Australia's 40 species of kangaroos. At first they appear in such scant numbers that he marvels at a single spotting. Soon enough though, the 'roos appear in such great abundance that he shifts his focus to the duck-billed platypus outside of Canberra, the mudskippers in the coastal rainforests near Brisbane, the pythons in Lake Barrine, and the "freshies" (freshwater crocodiles) at Edith Falls.

Going beyond the Attenborough-toned walk in the field, Kanze touches on the realities of the Aboriginal plight, the invasion of the European settler, and the desecration of the Australian landscape. He even pays a visit to an asbestos mining town where passers-through are warned not to breathe the particulate-thick air. By the time Kanze and his wife are plenty full of each other, their broken-down Corolla, and the search for the rufous-banded honeyeaters, the pied herons, the hairy-nosed wombats, the white-browed crakes, the pratinoles, the cane toads, the tree kangaroos, the giant lizards, and the flying marsupials, they have sated their list, and the reader, with Australia's remarkable and often-elusive wildlife. --Lolly Merrell

Customer Reviews:

great book on Australian natural history.......2003-12-01

I read this book just after having finished Bill Bryson's travel book on Australia, "In A Sunburned Country," and the contrast could not be more vivid. Bryson focused mainly on the cities, towns, and people of Australia, and I believe he only saw a few kangaroos in his entire sojourn there. Though he did cover some natural history, most of his work was focused on the human history and culture of Australia. Kanze on the other hand on his massive journey around Australia with his wife Debbie spent very little time in cities, trying to avoid urban areas for the most part, and saw a great deal of wildlife, including probably hundreds of kangaroos. In fact, the principal reason they flew to Australia, bought a car, and spent the better part of a year driving around the continent/country (including Tasmania) was to see a bewildering array of plants, animals, and natural landscapes in the "bush."

The author introduces the reader to a many animals, some familiar, many not. We meet a wide variety of kangaroos, including the "big four," the common wallaroo (known as the "euro" in Western Australia), the red kangaroo, the eastern grey, and the western grey, as well as the musky rat-kangaroo, most "primitive" of kangaroos, smaller than a housecat, distinct in that hops on four feet rather than two, carries nest material with its tail, and is the only kangaroo that raises two young at a time rather than the usual one . They encounter the sugar glider, a marsupial that is strikingly similar to the flying squirrel of North America, one that feeds on the excretions of sap-feeing insects and eucalyptus resin, something few marsupials can digest. A wide variety of parrots (the continent possesses fifty-six species) also amazes the Kanzes when they encountered them in virtually any setting, from rain forest to desert to the middle of large cities. They meet koalas several times, a strange animal that Kanze informs us actually for a time grew more common after English settlement, as Aborigine hunting of them declined as their own populations retreated before the Europeans, only to suffer in turn when koalas caught the fancy of London furriers. They run into the ubiquitous termite mounds of Queensland, thousands of which tower over the landscape up to eight feet in height, vital to the local ecology as they serve the function of earthworms, which are unable to survive the monsoonal inundations of the local landscape. Interestingly, we learn that at least some termite species build their mounds with their broad fronts parallel to the earth's magnetic poles, one end pointing to magnetic south, the other magnetic north, with the mounds thus situated to soak up morning and afternoon sunshine but only present a thin edge to the blistering midday sun. They meet the potentially dangerous cassowary, a huge flightless bird able to run thirty miles an hour, jump five feet into the air, and disembowel a man with the slash of a talon. Advised to hide and freeze should they encounter one in the forest, the Kanzes run into an overcurious youngster and its protective parent at one point, a situation that could have ended in disaster. Told that if one froze they might be missed, as their eyesight is poor, a comment that to me brought to mind "Jurassic Park," a thought the author apparently shared. Kanze roots around underwater with a snorkel and mask for the elusive Arafura file snake, not formerly described until 1980, a snake with unusually loose but rough skin that uses to grip slippery fish, a water snake that hunts, sleeps, breeds, and gives birth without leaving the water. Among the many other animals they meet and describe for the reader are the manatee-like dugong, honey possums (the only terrestrial mammal to subsist entirely on pollen and nectar), Tasmanian devils, the hated alien cane toad, a wide variety of native frogs, bowerbirds, bandicoots, platypuses, flying foxes, dingoes, echidnas (also know as spiny anteaters), lyrebirds, sunbirds, and a wide variety of reptiles including sea turtles, pythons, many poisonous snakes, goannas (among the largest lizards alive today, goanna being the Australian name for a monitor lizard, the name probably a corruption of "iguana"), and crocodiles (both freshwater and saltwater varieties).

I learned a lot about Australian wildlife and landscapes and some about Australian history and culture and really enjoyed the book, but do offer a few small complaints. Kanze repeatedly compares his journey throughout Australia to that of Odysseus and his trials that were described in "The Odyssey." While sometimes the comparisons were apt and even mildly humorous, sometimes they seemed a bit forced and even slightly tedious, with occasional asides into Greek mythology that seemed out of place. Second, many times Kanze mentions taking pictures of a variety of animals throughout his journey, yet there is only the cover picture; nowhere are there are photographs in the book. I would have liked to have seen a few pictures at least of landscapes.

Having said that though, this is a very good Australian travel and natural history book, one I would recommend.

Australia's nature vividly described.......2001-05-11

Ed Kanze's Kangaroo Dreaming should provide a healthy counterbalance to "Survivor II" with its kitschy evocation of aboriginal ceremony and the Australian landscape. In the popular show, the only genuine elements were the landscape of the outback itself and the glimpses of wildlife. In Kanze's clear-eyed view of the same landscape, the aborigines, like our Native Americans, displaying the "ugly and all-too-universal result of western mercantile culture mixing with a tribal society." The aborigines encountered near Alice Springs - unsmiling, clutching whiskey bottles - provide one of the human portraits that truly makes Kanze's book stand out among travelogues of natural history. But as always, Kanze's eye for flora and fauna predominates and his descriptive powers are masterful: "Suddenly, bubbles appeared in the water before me. I cocked my camera, switched on the flash, and held my breath. There - there -there - I was struck dumb by my good fortune. A black, rubbery bill wider than a duck's pushed through the surface immediately before me. It was followed by webbed feet, a hairy face with beady black eyes, and a furry brown body about the size of a muskrat's. I fiddled with the camera. The platypus was so close that my lens could not focus." The frame of Kanze's story is a nine-month, 25,000-mile odyssey he and his wife Debbie took around the rim of, and to the center of, Australia. (In fact, the author has used the sections of The Odyssey itself to parallel their journey.) Along the way they meet friendly and helpful nature enthusiasts - as well as characters they'd as soon never see again. For those of us who will visit "the America on the other side of the world" (Melville's phrase) only via the armchair, the Kanzes make irresistible, funny and erudite traveling companions.

A terrific read!.......2001-04-08

For one who has not been to Australia yet, reading about this wildlife journey has been great fun. The author gives his readers a real sense of the joy of discovery and excitement of the search. Along the way, he imparts a great amount of fascinating information about the countryside and the people encountered during their travels.

I highly recommend Kanze's book for armchair travelers who have an interest in wildlife, or those who may be contemplating such an adventure for themselves. The view of Australia, its people, and its wildlife is extraordinary!

Riding With the Kanze's.......2000-10-05

Great armchair rideabout through the land down under! Witty and intelligent, Kanze has a knack for making one feel as if he and his wife were sitting in rockers in your den telling these tales. He is able to balance intelligence and knowledge with humor and candor of his own foibles. I want to go to Australia!

Great read!!.......2000-10-05

It is always a delight to read any of Mr. Kanz's books and this newest offering is just a joy. Travel is always an adventure and to be guided through the space of Australia by Mr. Kanze and his wife is a rare treat. He expertly weaves the natural history with the constant joys and uncertanty of meeting new people. People, places, nature, and new sights are what travel is about and these two have given the reader the chance to share in their wonder and adventure. BRAVO

Be sure to check out his other books. You won't be disappointed.

Average customer rating:

One of the Best One Book Resource Books Out There

Encyclopedia of Australian Wildlife

ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Veterinary | Encyclopedias | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0864491182

Product Description

Full color large hardcover filled with photos and information about all of the varied wildlife found in the continent of Australia. This extraordinary collection of data includes regional information as well as species, images, and idiosyncracies of the many creatures.

Customer Reviews:

One of the Best One Book Resource Books Out There.......2006-01-23

I work at David Fleay Wildlife Park on the Gold Coast, Australia and have seen many different textbook/research books on various Australian animals and would have to say this is the one I recommend for anyone who is only looking at purchasing one book and wants something that covers a large range of Australian reptiles, birds, amphibians, insects and mammals. You can get more detailed information books on specific animals or species but they are usually also a lot more expensive. If you want a reasonably priced easy to read book with wide coverage and the basic information plus a little more, then this is the one for you.

In addition to the written text you have photographs on most of the animals as well as shaded maps of Australia indicating where they are found. There are even some diagrams and coloured sketches of various features of some animals such s claws, eyes and skin.

I would recommend this to anyone who wants a good research book on Australian animals or anyone who just has an interest in Australian wildlife.

Average customer rating:

Australian Wildlife (Nature Kids)

Manufacturer: Mason Crest Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Australian Rare and Endangered Wildlife (Nature Kids)

ASIN: 1590842103

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Manufacturer: Waterford Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Australia & South Pacific | Travel | Subjects | Books

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Gliders of Australia: A Natural History (Australian Natural History Series)

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Gliders of Australia: A Natural History (Australian Natural History Series)
David Lindenmayer
Manufacturer: University of New South Wales Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Conservation | Environment | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
ASIN: 086840523X

Book Description

Gliders are an important--though seldom seen--group of marsupials whose long-term survival prospects are being seriously threatened by land-clearing and the logging of Australia's old-growth forests. This book deals with all six species of Australian gliders, which range in size from the tiny 12 gram Feathertail Glider to the 1.3 kilogram Greater Glider. This extraordinary group of animals possess a fascinating array of adaptations to their nocturnal and gliding existence, including eyes that act like a built-in rangefinder to help judge gliding distances, elongated limbs and specially developed toepads to help grip branches when landing, and a padded pouch to protect the young when mothers finish a glide and land on a tree trunk. The book describes the biology and ecology of some of Australia's most remarkable animals and touches on such diverse topics as the origins of gliders, their behavior, how to study gliders, and their conservation.

1000 Questions & Answers About Australian Wildlife (Discover & Learn About Australia Series)

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1000 Questions & Answers About Australian Wildlife (Discover & Learn About Australia Series)

Manufacturer: Steve Parrish
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: 174021014X

Attracting Wildlife to Your Garden (Lothian Australian Garden)

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Attracting Wildlife to Your Garden (Lothian Australian Garden)
Rodger Elliot
Manufacturer: Lothian Pub Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Australia | Australia & Oceania | History | Subjects | Books

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0850916283

The Australian Alps: Kosciuszko, Alpine and Namadgi National Parks (National Parks Field Guide)

Average customer rating:

mixed bag

The Australian Alps: Kosciuszko, Alpine and Namadgi National Parks (National Parks Field Guide)
Deirdre Slattery
Manufacturer: International Specialized Book Services
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Australia | Australia & Oceania | History | Subjects | Books

Social History | Historical Study | History | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books

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Reference | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books

General | Field Guides | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0868403199

Customer Reviews:

mixed bag.......2002-03-16

While the Natural History Section of this Book is fine, with modest detail on the plants and animals, the book goes down hill when it get to History and Land Use Issues. The author seems extremely vindictive against the Mountain Cattlemen of Victoria, perhap a reflection of her battles with them as a member of the Victoria National Parks Association. Her bias shows up in many ways, such as those that agree with her are "caring" or "enlightened", those against her are "uninformed" or "greedy." Then again it seems the only self interested parties in the land use conflicts, in her view, are the Cattlemen (especially) and the loggers, but never the Greens, which is baloney of the first order. In total the book could have done better by sticking to the natural history aspect and steering clear of controversy.

Australian endangered species: Eucalypts (Special publication / Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service)

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Australian endangered species: Eucalypts (Special publication / Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service)
L. D Pryor
Manufacturer: Australian National Parks and Wildlife Service
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Australian endangered species: Mammals, birds, and reptiles

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Australian endangered species: Mammals, birds, and reptiles
Derrick Ovington
Manufacturer: Cassell Australia
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Binding: Unknown Binding

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Wildlife | Conservation | Outdoors & Nature | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0726966460

Book Description

An all-new cycling guide to scenic back roads in the Blue Ridge and Great Smoky Mountains region of Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, and Southern Virginia.

This all new cycling guide uncovers scenic back roads for both touring and mountain bikes through the heart of the Southern Appalachians: from North Georgia, Tennessee, and North Carolina to Southwest Virginia. Encompassing the Blue Ridge Parkway and Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the region offers scenic and historic tours along valley floors, exhilarating ridgetop rides, and challenging treks through rugged mountains.

Rogers describes road bike rides at Georgia's historic Chickamauga National Battlefield; high, wild vistas from the transmountain Cherohala Skyway; and a new greenway system spanning Maryville and Alcoa, Tennessee. Mountain bikers will love the classic tours on the Tsali and Bent Creek trails systems, as well as two new trail systems along Tennessee's Ocoee River. Also included are Virginia's popular Virginia Creeper and New River Trails.

Routes range from the little known to the well traveled, from level road rides to challenging mountain trails. Each ride description will include mile-by-mile directions; a detailed map and mileage cue sheet; information on difficulty and terrain; and notes on the natural and historic features you'll encounter along the way. 35 black & white photographs.

Customer Reviews:

Awesome Rides.......2004-05-29

This is a well written, highly interesting and fun book. The rides in here are great fun and well documented. Mr. Rogers should devote more time to sharing his in depth knowledge and expertise with all of us!

Touring the Middle Tennessee Backroads (Touring the Backroads)

Average customer rating:

A Gift
Contemporary history and detail tour information.

Touring the Middle Tennessee Backroads (Touring the Backroads)
Robert Brandt
Manufacturer: John F. Blair Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0895871297

Customer Reviews:

A Gift.......2007-03-21

This is the other book I purchased as a birthday gift for my son-in-law who is an avid hiker and prefers naturalist areas that are less traveled. He was very pleased with this book also

Contemporary history and detail tour information........1999-01-30

This book is loaded with interesting information on the history, and were to find the evidence of that history for middle Tennessee. Easy reading and enjoyable, even if you never take one of the suggested tours. The author makes the reader feel like they are listening to an old friend tell them how to enjoy a Sunday drive.

Touring the East Tennessee Backroads (Touring the Backroads)

Average customer rating:

Awesome! History lesson and tour guide in one volume
A Traveling Companion Must

Touring the East Tennessee Backroads (Touring the Backroads)
Carolyn Sakowski
Manufacturer: John F. Blair Publisher
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Guidebooks | Reference & Tips | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0895871033

Customer Reviews:

Awesome! History lesson and tour guide in one volume.......2007-08-01

This and it's sister publications are some of the most detailed, informative tour guides you will find! We simply love this series and the way it is written. There are few commercial details, i.e. hotel recommendations, restaurants etc.If you need that buy the Frommer's or Fodor's books but this one will take you way off the beaten path and bring you back again much more informed than when you left. You can't go wrong with any of the books in this entire series.....I know, I have them all!

A Traveling Companion Must.......2005-01-13

This is a must for anyone wanting to see East Tennessee and get everything you can out of it! The book is easy to read and very informative. Maps are at the beginning of each section showing your possible journey, so you can take the entire journey or a portion and know exactly what you will find and see. The directions are excellent so you can't get lost. Now the only downfall...it is very similar to another book I purchased so don't waste your money this book has it all.

Touring the East Tennesee Backroads (Touring the Backroads)

Average customer rating:

Touring the East Tennesee Backroads (Touring the Backroads)
Carolyn Sakowski
Manufacturer: John F Blair Pub
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0895873508

Product Description

The historical facts in the first edition of Touring the East Tennessee Backroads have not changed much since the book was first published in 1993, but highway construction and development has altered the routes of the 13 tours. For this second edition, the author drove over 3,000 miles to update the tours where people such as Daniel Boone, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, Andrew Jackson, Sequoyah, Nancy Ward, and Clarence Darrow once traveled the same backroads.

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